How Can I Get Hotel Staff to Take My Complaint Seriously?

It happens – the room isn’t up to par, the service wasn’t satisfactory, etc. Whatever the issue is, you always have the right to complain when you’re not happy with your experience at a hotel. The key, of course, is complaining effectively, and via the right channels. Here are our top tips for drawing attention to – and hopefully resolving – your hotel stay complaint.

1. Stay Calm. We can’t reiterate this enough. No matter how right you are about the situation, kicking and screaming never solves anything. Overexaggerations (“You’ve ruined my vacation!”) don’t help either. Calmly and clearly explain what went wrong and why you are unhappy. The more pleasant you are, the more likely someone in charge will want to resolve the issue.
2. Hint at Future Kicking and Screaming if Your Complaint Isn’t Taken Seriously. No, we don’t mean threaten the poor girl at the front desk. But if the first person whom you’ve explained the issue to is simply brushing it off or refusing to solve it, make it clear – while still remaining calm – that you have no problem taking things to the next level. Ask to speak with a manager. Still nothing? Raise your voice ever so slightly – the thought of other customers overhearing your complaint is the last thing a hotel wants.
3. Resort to Kicking and Screaming via Social Media if Your Complaint is Still Being Ignored. Each day, more and more hotels create an account on Twitter or a page on Facebook, specifically for the purpose of monitoring customer complaints. Use this to your advantage, without forgetting tip #1. If all else fails, take to your social media accounts, and announce your unresolved issue. Something as simple as, “Not happy with the __________ at ____________ hotel. Don’t plan on staying here again,” can be effective. If the hotel uses or monitors social media sites, they are likely to respond.

When putting these tips to use, keep in mind that there are some hotels out there – albeit, very few – who will continue to ignore your complaint. In this scenario, our advice is to do your best to enjoy the rest of your trip, and don’t stay at that hotel again. On the other hand, you should also keep in mind that this is an industry that revolves around customer service – chances are the hotel staff wants to help. Follow our advice, and a solution is likely to be found.